It's easy to trot out the cliche about cars being better in the old days.

But remember that many of them had brakes on the rear wheels only, required a fair bit of persuasion and hushed swearing to start - if they did - and considered 60 km/h a perfectly respectable top speed.

But there's no denying they're fascinating.

With our upcoming special Antique and Vintage Collection auction now open for entries, and a 1913 Overland already among the star attractions, we thought we'd look back at five of the oldest cars to have passed through CARBIDS over the years.

Starting with one that's now more than a century old.

Not quite what Henry Ford had in mind.

1. 1923 Ford T-Bucket Hot Rod

$16,000*, October 2023

Technically, this one's cheating a little.

Yes, it's based on a 1923 Ford Model T. But Henry Ford probably wouldn't have recognised much of what was going on underneath.

Rather than the original four-cylinder engine, this T-Bucket had a 235ci Chevrolet straight-six, complete with three carburettors, an Offenhauser manifold and rocker cover, and a four-speed manual gearbox. There were also red wheels, whitewall tyres, leather seats and a removable soft top.

It had come a long way too - the listing noted it had previously been fully registered in the Northern Territory.

View the original listing

There - no excuse to let your HiLux work ute get all mucky.

2. 1926 Chevrolet Superior Series Truck

$25,300, February 2025

Now this is more like it.

This 1926 Chevrolet Superior truck had spent much of its life around Howlong, on the NSW–Victoria border, before finding its way to Canberra in the late 1990s.

There, the team at Cooma Diesel gave it a complete restoration in 1999–2000. It subsequently spent years on display, looking considerably cleaner than most working trucks ever did.

Under the bonnet were small figures - a 2.8-litre four-cylinder engine producing around 21.7 horsepower, driving through a three-speed manual gearbox. Top speed? Um, about 56km/h.

But with mechanical brakes operating on the rear wheels only, you probably wouldn't want to test that figure too enthusiastically.

View the original listing

Highlighter blue, we're calling it.

3. 1928 Chevrolet AA National Utility

$22,907, November 2020

Two years later, Chevrolet gave us this blue AA National Utility, a one-tonner powered by a 2.8-litre engine.

The late 1920s were an interesting time for Chevrolet. General Motors was battling Ford for the American market, and the Chevy name was becoming more and more familiar to Australians. A ute definitely helped seal the deal.

Not that anybody was particularly concerned about heated seats or wireless Apple CarPlay back then.

View the original listing

A proper Jaaag.

4. 1947 Jaguar Mk IV Saloon

$26,300, February 2026

Fast-forward nearly 20 years, and things had become considerably more civilised.

This 1947 Jaguar Mk IV is surely one of the most British cars that have ever Britished - complete with a 3.5-litre engine, burgundy Connolly leather upholstery, burr walnut trim, wire wheels and rear-hinged doors. 

There was even a fitted tool tray, presumably because the gentleman motorist was still expected to know his way around a spanner.

Its enormous headlights and sweeping guards were very much from the pre-war school of design, but the Mk IV was built during Jaguar's early post-war years, when the company was establishing itself as a serious maker of sporting luxury cars.

Our example showed an indicated 72,491 miles and was listed in running and driving condition, although a coolant leak was noted.

View the original listing

Back when MGs were beautiful.

5. 1948 MG TC Roadster

$55,600, February 2022

If the Jaguar was for arriving at the country club, the MG TC was for enjoying the road on the way there.

This little blue British roadster had a 1.3-litre engine, manual gearbox, separate mudguards and the sort of open-air driving experience that modern convertibles have spent decades trying to recreate.

The TC became particularly popular after the Second World War, helping introduce a generation of motorists to British sports cars. There wasn't much in the way of creature comforts. But that wasn't really the point.

Sure beats today's MGs for charm too.

View the original listing

In need of some moderate TLC.

Honourable mentions

There have been plenty of other old-timers through CARBIDS, including a 1948 Chevrolet Stylemaster coupe utility, a circa-1949 Ford Anglia Tourer project, a 1950 MG TD roadster, and an early Holden 48-215 FX.

And if we're counting machinery that isn't technically a car, there was also a 1941 International T6 crawler tractor with a US Army connection.

Not technically a car.

But we're about to go quite a bit further back.

Our upcoming Antique and Vintage Collection already features a 1913 Overland, but plenty more veteran and vintage vehicles, including pre-war cars and motorcycles, are expected to join it.

We're currently accepting entries, so if you've got something interesting tucked away in a shed, we'd love to hear about it.

In the meantime, admire how cars use to look. And appreciate your simple modern-day stop-start button all the more.

*All prices exclude Buyer's Premium.

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